Electro-optical device, method of manufacturing the same, and electronic apparatus

Abstract

An electro-optical device 101 is provided with an electro-optical panel 102 in which a liquid crystal material L is held between a pair of opposed electrodes 114 a and 114 b , and a dot is formed in each of regions where the pair of opposed electrodes 114 a and 114 b is opposed to each other, and with a light source 106 for irradiating the electro-optical panel 102 with light. The device further comprises a transflective film 112 having a light-transmitting region 113 provided for each of the dots to transmit light from the light source 106 and a light-reflecting region for reflecting the external light, a colored layer 118 provided corresponding to the dots, and a colored layer 121 provided opposite to the colored layer 118 with the liquid crystal material L held therebetween corresponding to the light-transmitting region 113.

1. An electro-optical device provided with an electro-optical panel in which an electro-optic material is held between a pair of electrodes, and a dot is formed in each of regions where the pair of electrodes opposes each other, and provided with a light source for irradiating the electro-optic panel with light, the device being capable of operating as a reflective display using external light and a transmissive display using light from the light source, the device comprising:
 a transflective film having a light-transmitting region provided for each of the dots to transmit light from the light source, and a light-reflecting region for reflecting the external light;  
 a first colored layer provided corresponding to the dots; and  
 a second colored layer provided opposite to the first colored layer with the electro-optical material held therebetween, the second colored layer positioned in the light transmitting regions of the transflective film.  
 
     
     
       2. The electro-optical device according to  claim 1 , wherein the first colored layer and second colored layer comprise substantially the same material. 
     
     
       3. (original) The electro-optical device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a pixel defined by the plurality of dots,  
 wherein the first colored layer and second colored layers have aligned segments of the same color, adjacent segments being of different colors so that each pixel is comprised of dots of different color.  
 
     
     
       4. An electro-optical device provided with an electro-optical panel in which an electro-optical material is held between a pair of opposed electrodes, and a dot is formed in each of regions where the pair of opposed electrodes opposes each other, and provided with a light source for irradiating the electro-optical panel with light, the device being capable of operating as a reflective display using external light and a transmissive display using light from the light source, the device comprising:
 a transflective film provided on one of the pair of electrodes and having a light-transmitting region provided for each of the dots to transmit light from the light source and a light-reflecting region for reflecting the external light;  
 a first colored layer provided corresponding to the dots; and  
 a second colored layer provided in the light transmitting regions of the transflective film.  
 
     
     
       5. The electro-optical device of  claim 1  which is configured as a display for electronic apparatus. 
     
     
       6. A method of manufacturing an electro-optical device provided with an electro-optical panel in which an electro-optical material is held between a pair of electrodes, and a dot is formed in each of regions where the pair of electrodes opposes each other, and provided with a light source for irradiating the electro-optical panel with light, the device being capable of operating as a reflective display using external light and a transmissive display using light from the light source, the method comprising the steps of:
 forming a transflective film comprising a light-transmitting region for transmitting light from the light source and a light-reflecting region for reflecting the external light in such a manner that the light-transmitting region corresponds to each of the dots;  
 forming a first colored layer corresponding to the dots; and  
 forming a second colored layer opposite to the first colored layer with the electro-optical material held therebetween, the second colored layer positioned in the light transmitting regions of the transflective film.  
 
     
     
       7. An electro-optical device comprising:
 an electro-optical panel having layer of an electro-optical material;  
 a first set of electrodes on one side of the electro-optical material;  
 a second set of electrodes on an opposite side of the electro-optical material;  
 a matrix of dot regions defined by intersections of the first and second set of electrodes;  
 a light source for irradiating the electro-optical panel with light;  
 a transflective film having an array of light transmitting regions corresponding to the dot matrix, the transflective film having adjacent light-reflecting regions for reflecting the external light;  
 a first colored layer having an array of colored segments, one segment for each of the dots;  
 a second colored layer having an array of colored segments, one segment in each of the light-transmitting regions in the transflective film;  
 the electro-optical material being sandwiched between the first and second colored layers;  
 the segments of the first colored layer being vertically aligned with the segments of the second colored layer;  
 vertically aligned segments of the layers being of the same color, while horizontally adjacent segments in each layer are different colors; groups of vertically aligned segments generally defining pixels for the display; and  
 the device being capable of operating as a reflective mode display using external light and a transmissive mode display using light from the light source, light from the light source passing through the same colored segments in the first and second colored layers when the display is operating in the transmissive mode.  
 
     
     
       8. The device of  claim 7  wherein there are blue, green and red segments in each group. 
     
     
       9. The device of  claim 7  wherein the segments in the first layer cover at least 80% of the dot area, and the segments of the second colored layer cover at least 25% of the area of the light-transmitting regions. 
     
     
       10. An electro-optical device comprising:
 a first substrate;  
 a second substrate positioned opposite the first substrate;  
 an electro-optical material disposed between said first substrate and said second substrate;  
 a first set of electrodes on a first side of said electro-optical material;  
 a second set of electrodes on a second side of said electro-optical material;  
 a transflective film having at least one light reflecting region and at least one light transmitting region;  
 a matrix of dot regions located where said first electrodes cross said second electrodes;  
 a first colored layer having an array of colored segments, said segments positioned at said dots; and  
 a second colored layer having an array of colored segments, said colored segments positioned at said light transmitting regions of said transflective film.  
 
     
     
       11. An electro-optical device comprising:
 a first substrate;  
 a second substrate positioned opposite the first substrate;  
 an electro-optical material disposed between said first substrate and said second substrate;  
 a first set of electrodes on a first side of said electro-optical material;  
 a second set of electrodes on a second side of said electro-optical material;  
 a transflective film formed on said first substrate having at least one light-reflecting region and at least one light-transmitting region;  
 a matrix of dot regions located where said first electrodes cross said second electrodes;  
 a first colored layer having an array of colored segments, said colored segments positioned at said light-transmitting regions of said transflective film; and  
 a second colored layer formed on said second substrate in correspondence to said light transmitting-regions of said transflective film.  
 
     
     
       12. An electro-optical device comprising:
 a first substrate;  
 a second substrate positioned opposite the first substrate;  
 an electro-optical material disposed between said first substrate and said second substrate;  
 a first set of electrodes on a first side of said electro-optical material;  
 a second set of electrodes on a second side of said electro-optical material;  
 a transflective film having at least one light-reflecting region and at least one light-transmitting region comprising at least one aperture;  
 a matrix of dot regions located where said first electrodes cross said second electrodes;  
 a first colored layer having an array of colored segments, said segments positioned at said dots; and  
 a second colored layer having an array of colored segments, said colored segments positioned at said light-transmitting regions of said transflective film;  
 wherein said second colored layer is provided in said apertures of said transflective flim.